GENEVA - UN experts* today called for justice and remedy for all victims of pervasive systemic racism, structural discrimination and violence in Brazil, as the trial of the alleged architects of the 2018 murders of Rio de Janeiro city councillor Marielle Franco and her driver, Anderson Gomes, is set to begin before the Supreme Court.
"As we reach this long awaited stage of the judicial process, it is vital that fairness and transparency are upheld and that full justice prevails," the experts said. "The trial represents not only the final chapter in the fight for justice for Franco and Gomes, but also an important milestone in addressing structural impunity for racism, intersectional discrimination and violence against human rights defenders, women, people of African descent and LGBTIQ+ persons in Brazil."
The brutal 2018 murders of Franco and Gomes shocked Brazil and the international community. Franco was a human rights defender who had spoken out against systemic racism, structural discrimination and police brutality in Brazil. She had been subject to intersectional discrimination, specifically the intersection between racism, classism, misogyny and prejudice based on sexual orientation.
Despite the shocking nature of the murders, the road to justice has been long and arduous for families of the victims. Leadership of the investigations into the murders changed several times and information was leaked to the press.
"The fact that it has taken eight years to reach this final stage of the judicial process is in itself shocking," the experts said.
In 2024 the experts welcomed the convictions of some perpetrators of the murders, but they stressed at the time, that these convictions did not mark the end of the fight for justice for Franco and Gomes.
"To ensure full justice, accountability and non-repetition of violence, those involved in the planning and cover-up of the murders must be held accountable," they said.
They experts have communicated their concerns to Brazil.
